The present invention relates to a louver and appurtenance joinder, installation and actuation system and structures to enable an average user to perform a professional installation of a shutter system and to give a finished look at least equal to that obtainable with complex installation machinery, and which will result in a less expensive, more precise installation which is less apt to result in mistake, and expensive scrappage.
Shutters which fold over window and door openings have been in use for a significant period of time. The cost and expertise required for installation varies greatly. The ends of the configuration continuum for shutters vary significantly in terms of cost. User installations typically tend to be roughshod over-the-window-opening installations in which supports are simply bolted or screwed onto the walls in a room to both sides of a window opening. The spacing of the supports are generally dictated by the amount of space occupied by the shutter sections. As such, the supports typically are located spaced from the window opening and the result has a shoddy look and is mismatched to the opening. From within the room, the window covering protrudes out from the wall.
The xe2x80x9cprofessionalxe2x80x9d installation generally requires stripping to be added to the inside of a window opening, for example. The shutter support members are further attached, with continual measurements, marking, cutting, sanding and re-painting. Where the width distance needs to be reduced, and in order to keep the shutters balanced, an amount of material must be planed from the edges of the shutters in an even fashion. Each edge which is planed must be re-sanded and re-painted with time for drying and hopefully that no additional time will be required for re-fitting.
Where an installer does not measure exactly the distance to be cut, he will either have to repeat the exercise or scrap the materials, or perhaps leave a gap at the center. The materials from which shutter systems are constructed can range from inexpensive to very expensive. At the more expensive end of the shutter spectrum, the shutters may be made from a custom laminate and ordered to exact dimensions. Typically this construction is limited to use by professional installers who have to specify all dimensions for installation exactly. In the event of an error, the shutters have to be re-ordered. Any mistakes have to be paid by the cost of extra material and time on the part of the installer which drives up the cost. Since this is known before the installation begins, the pricing is usually set to reflect the likelihood of error cost in both materials and time and is charged in advance thus driving up the cost.
The center gap continues to present a problem both in professional installations and for user installed configurations. The center light gap can be overly wide and even where it is kept to a minimum, and particularly for minimum spacing, any orientation of the shutters other than parallel will produce a noticeable wedge shaped light projection. The elimination of the light gap should be done in a way which not only provides adequate covering, but which also looks natural and blends into the overall visual theme of the shutter system.
Another problem, both from manufacturing and utilization standpoints is the physical restriction upon the simultaneous louver actuation control bar. In most lower end applications a series of xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped staples which are arranged so that the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped staples have each leg located longitudinally along the centerline of the simultaneous actuation handle. The curve of each of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped staples of the simultaneous actuation handle engage the curve of each of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped staples of the louvers. The simultaneous actuation handle may be adjusted to adjust the angles of all of the louvers simultaneously. A groove is typically made into the frame adjacent one of the last louvers of the series in order to accommodate a tip end of the simultaneous actuation handle when the louvers are adjusted to their most closed position, when the simultaneous actuation handle is brought most closely against the louvers and frame. The staple-staple mechanical connection can produce binding forces if each connection point is not exactly oriented with the others in terms of both its angular insertion orientation and depth as well as the angular insertion orientation and depth of staples to which it is connected. The binding forces are typically not sufficient to prevent actuation, but act to begin to work the staples out of their fixation into either the louvers or into the simultaneous louver actuation control bar. When a staple is removed, it is difficult to replace, especially where the simultaneous louver actuation control bar cannot be decoupled from the louvers without pulling out the other staples. The binding forces can not only remove staples, but also cause cracks in the louvers, especially where the staples are inserted at narrow edges of the louvers.
This system also prohibits the replacement of broken simultaneous louver actuation control bars as well as replacement of defective individual louvers. Where a shutter section was custom fitted, cut and painted, a broken louver forces replacement of and therefore a repeat of the custom installation of the shutter section.
What is therefore needed is a shutter system which enables a user to perform a custom installation without the cutting, planing and painting which is involved in typical custom installations. What is further needed is a system which is forgiving and allows for fine adjustments based upon summing the contribution of relatively larger quantities but in an order which enables fine adjustment. Also needed is a system which does not require a user to make a large number minute measurements at the outset of an installation process in order to produce a professional finish. The inventive system should provide a simultaneous louver actuation control bar which does not bind or place undue forces on any of the mechanical connections with the individual louvers, and which further permits use of a wider variety of louver anchoring structures which can be placed without the destructive forces accompanying staples and the like. Finally, the needed system should enable disengagement of the simultaneous louver actuation control bar from the louvers in order to permit individual louvers to be replaced as well as for replacement of the simultaneous louver actuation control bar.
The user customizable shutter system of the invention employs a variety of synergistic features which may be used individually or in combination to enable a user to install a shutter set in a manner which will produce a professional finish, but without the negative aspects accompanying most custom installation processes. The inventive system may be commercially available as a kit, or may be available as kit components which can be purchased as needed. Pre-manufactured shutter members are provided with pre drilled holes to accommodate threaded members, typically wood screws, to hold a series of decorative extensions which can be added to increase or decrease the horizontal dimension. Decorative extensions can also be inserted to increase vertical distance, if desired. A decorative extension formed as a combination middle handle and covering member may be provided to eliminate the middle light gap, as well as to provide horizontal dimension. Decorative extensions are provided typically on the facing edges of the shutter sets, whereas a decorative trim is provided for either flush mounting or decorative mold mounting about a window opening.
Two new systems for attaching the simultaneous louver actuation control bar to the structures fixed into the louvers are disclosed. Both systems enable a more specialized structure to be introduced into the louvers which will produce less stress on the louvers to reduce cracking and fracture from impact force of conventional staples. The louvers can then use small eyelet screws and can also be pre-drilled. The installation can be manual where assemblers push wires from a anchoring support through an opening in the eyelets or thread a smaller anchoring support of a two anchoring support system through the eyelet and into a space on a simultaneous louver actuation control bar.